“Do you have a pattern for the bag in this photo?”
Lucy looked at the article.
How to Sew a Zipper Without Swearing at It
There was the bag.
She had made it for the photographs. The paper pattern was still in a folder somewhere.
Lucy checked her shop.
No zipper bag.
“I sell sewing patterns. Apparently not this one.”
She replied:
No, but you are about the fifth person to ask. Let me fix that.
Lucy found the folder, cleaned up the instructions and uploaded the pattern.
Beginner Zipper Bag Pattern — $9
Done.
Now for the people who had asked for it.
The first comment was easy.
I finally made it. Here you go →
The second one was still there too.
One woman had used the contact form. Lucy found her email.
That made three.
There had been more.
She searched again.
Nothing.
“How am I supposed to find these people again?”
Before she came up with an answer, another comment appeared.
If you ever make a beginner clothes pattern, please tell me. Bags I can do. Clothes still terrify me.
Lucy started typing:
Sure.
Then stopped.
“No. I need a better way to do this.”
Tell me when it’s ready
Lucy added a small box to the bottom of her sewing articles.
Want the next beginner pattern or guide?
Leave your email and I’ll let you know when it’s ready.
Then she went back to the comment.
I’m working on one. Join the email list here and I’ll send it when it’s ready →
The next morning she opened the email service.
Email list
Subscribers: 1
That was the list: people who had given Lucy their email addresses so she could contact them again.
Over the next few days, more people joined.
The crooked bag
A few days later, an email arrived from someone who had bought Lucy’s zipper-bag pattern.
Attached was a photograph.
The left side of the bag looked fine.
The right side looked as though somebody had sat on it.
I swear I cut both pieces the same size. Why does this keep happening?
Lucy enlarged the picture.
“Ah.”
She replied:
I don’t think it’s your cutting. It looks like the fabric stretched while you were sewing. Give me a couple of days. I’ll show you what I mean.
Lucy looked at the photograph again.
That was probably worth showing properly.
She started another article.
Why Fabric Stretches While You Sew—and How to Stop It
She finished it and, near the bottom, showed a set of sewing clips she used when pins were more trouble than help.
Lucy didn’t sell the clips. A sewing retailer did. She was part of its affiliate program, so if somebody bought them through her link, the retailer paid her a commission.
She added the link and published the article.
This time she had people to tell.
The first email
Subject: Why does fabric stretch while you sew?
If one side of your project somehow ends up longer than the other even though you swear you cut both pieces the same size, this may be what happened.
I deliberately ruined a perfectly innocent piece of fabric so you can see it.
Read the guide →
Lucy clicked Send.
That afternoon a reply came in.
This is exactly what I was doing. I kept pulling the fabric because I thought I was helping it through the machine.
Then:
Ordered the clips too. Pins and I need some time apart.
Later, Lucy’s affiliate account showed a commission on the clips.
The clothes pattern
Eventually Lucy finished the clothes pattern she had promised.
Beginner Elastic-Waist Skirt — $12
She made a beginner guide to go with it.
Your First Piece of Clothing Doesn’t Need a Zipper
Lucy uploaded the pattern and published the guide.
Then she opened her email list.
Subject: My first beginner clothing pattern is ready
I finally finished a clothing pattern for beginners who want to try making something they can actually wear.
It’s an elastic-waist skirt, and I made a step-by-step guide to go with it.
See the pattern and guide →
Send
That afternoon a reply came in.
I’m the one who said clothes terrified me in the zipper comments. Bought it. Wish me luck.